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NOTE: This
answer was given on February 5, 2006, after the NEW
DIRECTION was implemented.
Answer from Jesus:
I consider the Gospel of
Judas a part of the ongoing process of making modern Christians aware
that Christianity was much more diversified in the first couple of centuries
and that much was lost after the emergence of the orthodox church. However,
I do not consider this gospel a major milestone.
This gospel was one among many gospels that are often called Gnostic
gospels by orthodox Christians. It was indeed brought forth through
a process of inspiration, revelation or what today would be called channeling.
The main purpose was to counteract the rising negativity toward Judas
and provide a counterpoint to the orthodox portrayal of Judas as the
only reason I was crucified. If you read the four official gospels carefully,
you will see that I knew Judas was playing a role, that I somewhat encouraged
him but that I nevertheless would have been crucified even if Judas
had not “betrayed” me.
Thus, it is not necessary or reasonable to become so hateful toward
Judas, and it is somewhat ironic that some of the people who hate Judas
the most are fundamentalist Christians. These people seem to believe
that if Judas had not given me up, I would not have been crucified,
yet they also believe that it was the spilling of my blood on the cross
that has washed away their sins. So if the crucifixion was necessary
for their salvation, why blame Judas? Would they prefer he had not betrayed
me and thus they had not had their sins washed away?
In reality, the Gospel of Judas was meant to counteract this hatred
of Judas because it prevented many Christians from understanding the
inner mysteries behind my crucifixion. Obviously, that purpose was undermined
when the Gospel of Judas was banned as heresy.
It is important to understand that this gospel is an example of what
we might call an attempt to balance the scales by providing a counterpoint
to a popular opinion, interpretation or doctrine. This is a principle
you see in many spiritual teachings; indeed I made use of it in many
of my statements, where I challenged the scribes and Pharisees or Jewish
customs. As I explain throughout this website, people tend to become
rigid in their adherence to outer doctrines, and thus one of the roles
of the Living Christ is to challenge people’s fixed viewpoints
– their graven images – in an attempt to shock them out
of their mental boxes. The purpose is to get them to think by providing
a viewpoint that is startlingly different from what they were brought
up to see as an infallible truth.
My point is that the Gospel of Judas should not be taken literally or
seen as a factual account of what actually happened. It is designed
specifically as a counterpoint to the popular interpretation of the
official gospels and thus it is not meant to give factual knowledge.
It is still very much in the realm of duality in that it is a response
to a dualistic viewpoint. For that matter, the official gospels are
not meant to be taken completely literally. Even they can be considered
as counter-gospels in the sense that they aim – as one of their
functions – at countering Jewish beliefs about me. They are very
much adapted to people’s beliefs and Old Testament scriptures
in order to show that I was a prophet in the line of Old Testament prophets
and that I had come to bring the Jewish religion to a new level.
When you avoid the trap of interpreting the Gospel of Judas literally,
you can see that it is not correct that Judas was my foremost disciple.
He did think so at times, as did Peter and a couple of the others. Yet
I had no preferred or foremost disciple, affirming my oneness with all
life. However, I did have a special relationship with Mary Magdalene
as my twin flame, and this is reflected in some of the official and
unofficial gospels. Likewise, the official gospels are correct in that
Judas did commit suicide.
My point is that the Gospel of Judas should not be seen as an attempt
to provide a factual account, and thus it is not what is normally called
a historical document and certainly not an eye-witness account. I am
aware that some will say the official gospels are not historical accounts
and do not seek to provide a factual account. However, these gospels
were written as an attempt to provide a blend of factual accounts and
stories aimed at producing an effect on a particular audience. The Gospel
of Judas is primarily given to provide an effect on the audience, namely
to counteract official interpretations. In other words, there is some
historicity in the official Gospels.
Take note that I am not thereby denouncing the Gospel of Judas as false
or heretical. For those who have grown up with the official hatred of
Judas, this gospel can help them open their minds and overcome the hatred,
which is highly beneficial for their own growth. I am merely saying
that if you start taking this gospel literally, you will go far beyond
its intended purpose—as is the case with any religious scripture.
As I said, this gospel was “channeled” to counter a popular
misconception, and it is very difficult for the “channeler”
to receive such a teaching. It is quite easy for the recipient –
what scholars call the author – to take the teaching too far into
the opposite extreme of the viewpoint it is meant to counter. This did
to some degree happen with the Gospel of Judas, so it is not entirely
pure. Nevertheless, this is relatively insignificant when you understand
the gospel’s true purpose.
Incidentally, many modern spiritual teachings are also given as counter
teachings. For example, many of the teachings brought forth through
the Theosophical Society fit into this category, and again the recipient,
H. P. Blavatsky, did take them a bit too far into the extreme, especially
her teachings on Lucifer. You will see many of today's channeled teachings
that do serve the purpose of countering either traditional religious
beliefs or a scientific world view. As such they can serve a function
for people to transition into a more spiritual frame of mind.
The problem is when people start taking them literally or think they
come from the highest source. As I have said elsewhere,
many modern channelings come from the mental level, which means they
can counter the scientific and rational mindset. However, if you want
to take such teachings as factual, you will run into problems. My point
being that at some point a sincere spiritual seeker needs to start looking
for teachings that originate from the Ascended Host and thus do not
originate from the level of duality found in the three
lower levels of the material universe. We will also sometimes give
counter teachings, but they will always point beyond duality for those
who have ears to hear.
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© 2006 by Kim Michaels |
